A Beautiful Seduction
by Deceptive Lies
Summary: If one were to ask anybody who knew him, they would scoff at the idea of the laziest ANBU in history, Shikamaru Nara, being placed in the Seduction Squad. But Shikamaru was surprisingly good at his job. Very good. Until he was assigned his most difficult mission yet: Seduce the newest Konoha ninja, Naruto Uzumaki, and uncover her loyalties. Fem!NarutoxShikamaru
1. The Prologue

_**The Prologue**_

The Seduction Squad: an elite sector of the ANBU dedicated to the art of using ones body and charm in order to spy on, manipulate, infiltrate and assassinate targets in secret, all without being suspected. As a branch under the Torture and Interrogation Department, they thrived in deception, using cunning masks of fake smiles and charm in order to hide their true intentions. They were deployed for only the most sensitive of missions, where being caught would lead to their deaths. They worked under the guise of innocence, and dealt with the missions that Konoha could not afford to be tied to. They were the very best of the best, and unless you were a part of the squad, you had no idea who the members were.

The ninjas that made up Konoha 11 were all aware that Shikamaru Nara was ANBU. He made it no secret, the tattoo printed on his left shoulder was constantly visible due to the sleeveless shirt and jonin jacket he tended to wear. The exact squad he was in, however, was left up to debate. Classified information can be quite the annoyance.

If one were to ask anyone who knew him, they would scoff at the idea of Shikamaru being placed in the Seduction Squad. He's too lazy, they would say, no way could he actually seduce a girl into telling him all of her secrets. But he was good at his job. _Very good._

It was all Ibiki's idea. The Head of Torture and Interrogation was fascinated with the young jonin, jumping at the chance to find the best use for him. After racking his brain for several hours, Ibiki found himself at the bar, where he stumbled onto the scene that would forever change the Nara's life. There Shikamaru was, sitting near the bar, chatting up Anko of all people. Gone was Shikamaru's typical slouch and characteristic mumbling, instead a smirk replaced his usual apathetic features. He was smooth, Ibiki had to admit, charm seeping into his voice like warm honey.

A week passed before Ibiki saw the lazy man again. After confronting him on flirting with his favorite employee, Shikamaru just shrugged and replied, "It wasn't a big deal. She had some info about the diplomatic deal with Suna that I needed. Anko gets a little loose lipped when tipsy."

So yeah, it was all Ibiki's idea. At first, Shikamaru thought that the older man was going insane. Here he was, a 15-year old newly minced jonin, asked to join the Seduction Squad. So he did what any sane man would do, and said no. But Ibiki was persistent, so he offered the boy a trial run.

"Do the training," Ibiki said, "And do one mission. If you don't like it, or it doesn't suit you, then fine. No harm, no foul. But try it first."

Shikamaru hated it when Ibiki was right. The scarred man was quite the fan of gloating. Shikamaru did the training, as asked, and then went on his first mission. It was a hit, lasting a total of three days. A new record.

So here he was, a year later at the age of 16. Shikamaru Nara, member of the Seduction Squad, was good at his job. So Ibiki gave him his hardest mission yet.

* * *

Naruto Uzumaki, raised in Uzushiogakure, was only eight years old when the clan elders informed her of her fate as a human sacrifice. She would never forget the moment; her pale, lithe body kneeling on the mat, her young mind trying to process that there was an immortal demon fox tucked inside her stomach.

She was never a fan of Uzushiogakure. The weather was too temperamental. The elders were too strict. There were never any other kids to play with.

"Back before the war," They would tell her, their eyes sparkling with joy, "The entire country was filled with our cousins. Hundreds of children running around, laughing without a care. But that was before. We are the only survivors."

 _If there weren't any survivors who could have children,_ Naruto always wanted to ask, _then how on Earth did I get here?_

Naruto was nine when her Godfather took her away from the only home she had ever known. Ero-sennin was a self-proclaimed super pervert, but he was the coolest sensei of all time. He taught her how to improve her seals, as well as how to control the demon within her. He was powerful, despite the façade of being a perverted old man. She loved him like a father.

Under Ero-sennin's tutelage, she learned how to fight. She was given combat experience, placing her as one of the strongest ninjas of her generation. They collected bounties for both money and experience, traveling across the world maintaining Jiraiya's infamous spy network.

Naruto was 12 when she was told about her parents. She cried that day. The next morning, she wiped away her tears, and swore that she would do her parents justice by becoming the strongest Hokage the world had ever seen.

Naruto was 16 when she was declared to be ready by Jiraiya to go back home to Konoha. The place where she was born, the place that she hadn't seen since she was a mere newborn. The country that would finally allow her to register as an actual ninja.

She could hardly wait.


	2. A Bar

Shikamaru lazily twirled his index finger around the edge of his glass, his half hooded eyes gazing lustfully at the pretty brunette sitting beside him at the dimly lit bar. The music playing was soft and melodious, creating an utterly seductive atmosphere. A charming smile was spread across his delicate features, his eyebrows furrowed in rapt concentration as the object of his attentions regaled him with a seemingly delightful narrative.

The Nara ignored the urge to down his whisky as fast as humanly possible; this girl was an utter bore. Oh she was beautiful to look at, smart too. After all, one had to have some modicum of intelligence in order to assist in the development of a child trafficking ring. But she was boring, droning on and on about her summer trip to Tea Country, and all about how beautiful the hot springs could be in specific temperatures. If this were a regular girl he had met in a bar, Shikamaru would not have hesitated to make up some excuse quite a while back, running far away from the dull woman and her monotonous stories. But this wasn't a regular girl, and he wasn't a regular man. He had a job to do, so he continued to let the woman believe that he found her fascinating.

His job often brought him to bars such as these; they were the easiest way to meet women without being suspected. And as a member of the infamous Seduction Squad, Shikamaru knew he couldn't afford ever being suspected.

"So Hikaru," She spoke with a purr, obviously interested in the persona Shikamaru was currently playing, "When are you going to actually ask me out?"

Shikamaru, or Hikaru as he was now referred to, smiled flirtatiously, "Well I didn't want to be presumptuous. After all, a woman as beautiful as you deserves to be completely and utterly charmed before one could even dare to suggest such a thing."

"You think I'm beautiful?" She asked shyly, a small blush coloring her skin.

"I find you," he leaned in close, whispering in her ear, "Absolutely irresistible."

Irresistible in the fact that he couldn't not flirt with her. He needed information, and this was the quickest way to get it. But she needn't know that.

She grinned, linking her dainty unblemished fingers with his calloused masculine ones, "Well then prove it."

Shikamaru raised an eyebrow, "Oh? And how would you have me do this?"

"By continuing our _riveting_ conversation elsewhere. My hotel isn't too far from here."

"Well by all means," He gestured, "Lead the way."

* * *

Naruto hated bars. They were loud and annoying; filled to the brim with obnoxious drunks and pathetic gamblers. She grimaced as she side stepped an obviously inebriated man barreling towards her; she was going to kill Ero-sennin for making her come all the way down here.

Glancing around, she looked for the signature white hair that distinguished her god father from the rest of the perverted old men. She found him slouched on a bar stool, his face plastered on the sticky, beer soaked counter.

With a sigh, Naruto approached the man, sliding her arm under his so that she could hoist him up, "Come on Ero-sennin, time to go."

Before she could fully pick the ninja up, a younger man in the seat across stopped her, "Well well well, what's a pretty young thing doing with an old coot like this?"

Naruto shot the man a deadly glare, her hold on Jiraiya tightening in anger, "Fuck. Off."

The man winced sarcastically, a hand placed above his heart in mock-hurt, "You wound me my dear. Perhaps a kiss to make it better?"

Naruto rolled her eyes, "Tell me, does that line ever work? Like seriously, is there a girl on this planet dumb enough to fall for such an obvious pick-up line?"

"You seem to know a lot about pick-up lines, for a girl who _insists_ on playing hard to get." The man remarked.

"I'm not _playing_ anything," Naruto answered, "What I _want_ , is for you to fuck off, and leave me alone."

"I really do love it when they play hard to get." The man said, a perverted grin spreading across his face. That was when he made a terrible mistake: he touched the aspiring ninjas shoulder.

With a kick so fierce, Naruto had the man flying across the bar, crashing into the glass shelves lined with bottles of alcohol. The Uzumaki watched all this as she rubbed the back of her head nervously, "Hehe… oops?"

She threw Jiraiya across her back, sprinting out of the bar before the owner could grab his bearings and make the young girl pay for the damages. She really was going to kill Ero-sennin for dragging her into this mess.

Despite being with the powerful ninja for seven years now, he still somehow managed to blindside her. Their relationship was an odd one, after all, not many people could say that they helped their god father edit his smut books. But Naruto wouldn't change him for the world.

Well, on second thought, perhaps she would change this small aspect of Jiraiya. For a man so seemingly intelligent, he was quite the perverted idiot. In every town they stopped in, Ero-sennin would find it absolutely prudent to stop by the locals bars and talk to the patrons. He called it "research". Naruto called it, "pathetic attempts at flirting with girls half your age."

In any case, during his so-called "research", he would proceed to get so drunk, that Naruto was forced to go in and physically drag the older man out. It was tiresome, it was annoying, but frankly the girl was used to it.

Usually Naruto wouldn't complain much. She would huff in annoyance for a few minutes, get a little petty revenge the next morning by "accidentally" misplacing the hangover cure, but she'd get over it pretty fast. Today, however, was different.

Ever since she had been told the truth about her parents, just under four years ago, she had been waiting for the chance to go back to the village of her birth: Konoha. Ero-sennin told her fabulous stories of the great village, tales of the previous Hokage's and all of the fallen hero's. Naruto was fascinated by it all.

As a child, Naruto would dream of the day she would become a Ninja. The elders in Uzushiogakure used to scoff at the girls deceleration to becoming a strong ninja; there were no more ninjas left in the village. It was a pipe dream, she knew, but still she never doubted herself. And then Ero-sennin appeared. Like a hero in the stories, he whisked her away from the life of a bored seals-mistress, introducing her to a world beyond the whirlpools. For the first time since her birth, she could actually see a future of her serving as a ninja.

So for years she trained, doing all that she could in order to prove herself to the one man who took a chance on her, the one man who could make all her dreams come true. And last month, he made it official. They were going to Konoha.

But Jiraya still was taking his sweet fucking time getting her there. He claimed that the delay in their travels was due to him having to make many more stops for his spy network, since he wasn't sure how long he would stay in the village. Naruto, on the other hand, knew that the old man was just dragging his feet since he wasn't ready to talk to his old teammate just yet.

Ever since Naruto managed to convince the old blond drunk to take the mantle as Hokage a few years back, Jiraya has been terrified to go see her. "She's going to kill me," he claimed, "I'm the one who made her take the hat, and now that she realizes what an awful job it really is, she's going to murder me!"

Frankly, Naruto believed that Ero-sennin should be more concerned about his student murdering him, _especially_ if he kept dragging his feet on their trip back to Konoha. Let it be known that Naruto was never accused of being patient.

* * *

Shikamaru lit up a cigarette as he lazily walked towards the Hokage's tower. He had just arrived back in the village, and after discarding his ANBU mask in his apartment, he made his way to report the success of his latest mission.

It was pathetically easy, Shikamaru thought, getting the girl open up to him. He was in her bed within an hour of their first meeting. A few days, some loving gestures, and few charming, coaxing words were all that was needed for the woman to confide in him. He was glad that he was able to complete his mission fast, those poor children had suffered long enough, but simultaneously he was just _itching_ for a challenge.

Shikamaru was a lazy man by nature. But he loved being stimulated intellectually. Ever since his first few missions in the Seduction Squad, where he was still getting the hang of everything, he hasn't been challenged. He was quick to learn all of the tricks of seduction, his past as a member of a capture and interrogation squad during his Genin days proving themselves useful as he was able to make a woman spill their secrets with only a few honey-like words.

He was bored. And a bored Nara, was a dangerous Nara.

It didn't take long for him to be called into the Hokage's office. He waltzed in apathetically, narrowly dodging the glass bottle aimed at his head.

"How many times have I told you to not smoke in my office!" Tsunade spat out through gritted teeth.

Shikamaru rolled his eyes, before putting out his cigarette and tossing it into the bin. _Damn troublesome blond._

"ANBU member Deer, reporting mission success." He drawled nonchalantly, his eyes taking in the office décor.

Tsunade sighed, leaning her head on the palm of her hand, "You are perhaps one of the laziest ANBU members I have ever seen."

"Why thank you Hokage-sama."

"That was not a compliment," Tsunade sighed, "Regardless, you're good at your job. Frankly, that's all I care about."

Shikamaru shrugged, "I get the mission done."

"You're bored." She stated this. It was obvious to her by the way the young jonin carried himself, he just wasn't being challenged.

"I am." Nara felt no need to lie to her.

Tsunade hummed, her eyes scanning Shikamaru inquisitively, almost as if she was mulling something over, "I actually have your next mission."

Shikamaru raised a brow as he grabbed the file that Tsunade gestured towards, "Already?"

"This mission will be different from all the rest," She admitted, "Almost impossible really. Perhaps one of the most difficult missions ever assigned to the Seduction Squad. You up for it?"

Shikamaru grinned, "Well of course."

He flipped through the file, _Naruto Uzumaki, eh?_


	3. A Game

Tsunade took another swig from her ever-present bottle of alcohol. Sighing, the accomplished medic rested her head on the palm of her hand. Ever since she first became Hokage, a mere three years ago, she had to make many difficult decisions for the betterment of Konoha; yet this was perhaps one of her most difficult.

Three years ago, Tsunade was all too happy drinking and gambling herself to an oblivion; the alcohol and adrenaline that came from betting working in correspondence to numb her pain. Even after receiving word of the death of her sensei, she did not care. Nothing mattered in a world where her fiancé and brother did not exist.

Then, a small little blond barreled into her life. The young girl, not even a ninja, had the guts to call her out; outlining each and every one of her destructive habits. The orange clad eyesore spoke with the foul tongue of a sailor, yet the candor of an ethical, innocent child. She helped her see her faults, showing Tsunade that she was being selfish. Here she was, an accomplished med-nin who did pathetically little to help her people, too busy feeling sorry for herself to look beyond the outline of her own bottle to see all the people that she could be helping.

This was how little Naruto Uzumaki helped Tsunade become the Godaime Hokage, the new hope for Konoha. Now Naruto was coming to her village, the village in which she was originally born in. And Tsunade, despite liking the then 13 year old girl, couldn't help but feel suspicious. It's been three years, Naruto was 16 by now, and Tsunade knew better than most just how much could change in three years.

Even then, Tsunade knew pathetically little about the girl. She was a jinchuriki, that she knew. Naruto was the daughter of Minato and Kushina, neither of which lived past the girls birth. The Uzumaki only lived in Konoha for a mere three weeks, under the care of the Sandaime, before Jiraiya took the infant to her ancestral clan; Uzushiogakure. The blond lived there for nine years before Jiraiya felt it prudent to go back and train her.

From then on, her teammate sent regular updates on the girls wellbeing and training to Sarutobi, who had kept all the letters hidden until Tsunade found them a few weeks prior. But in those nine years where Naruto lived in hiding, no one knew what the girl was up to. Were the elders of Uzushiogakure bitter towards Konoha, training the young girl in deception so that she may act in revenge for their fallen clan? Had she met a missing-nin who poisoned her ideology towards the Will of Fire? Does she feel resentment towards the country that essentially abandoned her?

The fact of the matter is, no matter how much Tsunade liked the young girl, she didn't trust her. Not with the safety of her village at least. If Tsunade were not Hokage, she would not hesitate to welcome her trusted teammates student with open arms, after all, she had trusted the girl with her grandfathers necklace. However, Tsunade was the leader of the village, she couldn't afford to be careless. Jiraiya trusted the girl, but he's been wrong before. Tsunade has been wrong as well. They need not look further than their own teammate's atrocities to find an example of someone they trusted that they really shouldn't have.

Yet Naruto was essentially Konoha royalty, even if no one else knew it. She was also the jinchuriki, a villages greatest weapon. They needed her on their side; completely and utterly loyal to Konoha. Tsunade needed a way to determine if Naruto was truly loyal, and in the off chance she wasn't, find a way to _make_ her loyal.

It might be unethical, and slightly questionable, but this was the only answer Tsunade found. Shikamaru Nara was not only an accomplished ANBU, a successful member of the famed Seduction Squad, but also the same age as Naruto. He was the perfect candidate to determine Naruto's loyalty, and the best part? Nobody would suspect him.

* * *

Shikamaru groaned slightly as he flipped through his newest mission file within the safety of his own apartment. There was very little about Naruto Uzumaki. Born October 10th. Age 16. Parents Unknown. Skills include Fuinjutsu and Shadow Clone. Trained by Jiraiya the Toad Sennin.

He raised a brow at the last point. This girl, an orphan who left the village as a mere infant to live with her distant relatives in a far off village, was coming back to apply as a ninja. Not only that, but she was actually trained by the Sennin Jiraiya, the teammate of the current Hokage, a man famed for his extraordinary power.

What made this orphan special? It was true that the Uzumaki were a famed clan, with familial ties to the First Hokage's wife, and exceptional skill in the lost art of Fuinjutsu. But it still wasn't enough to justify such a thorough investigation into the girls loyalties, _especially_ considering that the girl had spent the last seven years training with Jiraiya. There was definitely more to the story, and Shikamaru was going to find it.

Until then, he needed to plan how he was going to go through with the mission. Tsunade wasn't lying when she confessed that it would perhaps be his most difficult one. In every other Seduction mission he had, Shikamaru was in a far off town, where no body knew his name. He took another name, a new job, a new persona all catered towards his target in order to accomplish his goal.

This time, he had to seduce the girl in his own home; a village that was intimately aware of his true personality and demeanor. He not only had to trick his target, but he had to fool all his friends and the rest of the village. While seducing Naruto, he couldn't be some fake-named Casanova, he had to be the _real_ Shikamaru Nara. No one could know that this was a mission, so he had to make all of his friends believe that he had genuine feelings towards Naruto. He cringed at the thought.

Shikamaru was _far_ from being a virgin; but his friends didn't exactly know that. He never showed that side to his fellow Shinobi, choosing to keep his charm directed towards random civilians in bars. But Naruto was going to be a fellow Shinobi, and as a girl their age, she would be in the presence of his friends quite often, so Shikamaru couldn't risk pretending to be someone he wasn't. He had to fool everyone.

Another part of the mission which made it difficult was the aspect that he knew next to nothing about his target. Usually he would be given a general outline, or at least the chance to pick up intel on the girl before he made his move. He would, at the very least, be given a picture. Yet he knew nothing about Naruto's looks and personality. She could be ghastly for all he knew, which wouldn't bother him since it was for a mission, but it would certainly make it harder to convince his friends that he was actually interested in her. But what if she was unlikable? Ino surely wouldn't let him be "interested" in someone with a horrid personality. What if she was the shy type of girl, like Hinata, who wouldn't do well with a male approaching her? Regardless, he thought, he was going to succeed in his mission.

Seduction was his favorite game; a game he always won.

* * *

"Goldfish."

Naruto resisted the urge to face palm, "We're not playing goldfish, Ero-Sennin, we're playing poker."

Jiraiya grinned sheepishly as he scratched the back of his head, "He he, my bad?"

The Uzumaki rolled her eyes, "Let me guess, you were a little too busy checking out our waitress to pay attention to the game?"

Jiraiya laughed nervously, "Haha, I never can get anything by you, huh brat?"

"You're such a pervert," She said while collecting the cards, "Hey Ero-Sennin, what's Konoha like?"  
The older man's eyes widened as he took a sip of his sake, "I've told you about Konoha quite a few times Naru, what brought this on?"

Naruto looked down self-consciously, she wasn't used to feeling nervous, "It's just… well all you've told me about is how it was in the past. What's it like these days, with Baa-chan as Hokage?"

"I'm sure it's the same as how I last left it." He said, shrugging. He wasn't quite certain why his usually overconfident student was asking such questions.

"I mean, how are the people like? Will they… will they like me? Or do they… know about my tenant?" She stammered, her eyes darting around anxiously.

Jiraiya sighed as he placed his glass down, "Ok, listen up brat because I'm not repeating this. They're going to absolutely _love_ you. You're a wonderful girl, a powerful ninja, and hell, maybe even their future Hokage. No one, bar Tsunade, has any clue about your parentage or tenant, so there's nothing to worry about. I'm actually more worried about all the boys I have to beat off with a stick."

It was obvious that Naruto was gorgeous. At 16, she had truly blossomed into a beautiful and stunning young woman. Long blond hair that reached her waist, long eyelashes which framed her large blue eyes, the adorable whiskers that stretched across her cheeks. Her outfit that consisted of tight leather pants and a long sleeve orange shirt didn't help the matter at all. She was a knockout, and often times during their travels did Jiraiya have to chase off potential suitors. Yet Naruto was oblivious to it all.

No, Naruto was much to busy perfecting the Rasengan and making seals to even begin to realize the amount of boys that would gladly sell their limbs for a chance to be with her. Jiraiya mused silently, she really was like her father; completely and utterly oblivious to romance. For someone who had read all of his books, Naruto was still a novice to romance. Jiraiya had the uncomfortable thought that he wouldn't be able to say the same in a few months. Homicidal thoughts ran through his head, if any Konoha ninja tried anything with his precious Goddaughter, he was going to show them exactly why he was both feared and revered throughout the Elemental Nations.

"Do you think I'll be able to see Gaara-kun anytime soon?" Naruto asked innocently, inadvertently interrupting his thoughts.

Jiraiya rolled his eyes, "You know, some people might find it to be treasonous to how you refer to the Kazekage so familiarly."

"Yeah, well some people are idiots. Gaara-kun is my best friend, who cares that he's the leader of a Hidden Village?"

"Many people care Naruto, many people," Jiraiya responded with a sigh, "And to answer your question, I'm sure there'll be some mission to Suna coming up, it shouldn't be too difficult to convince Tsunade to let you on the diplomatic committee once she's made aware of your connection."

Naruto answered with a grin as she shuffled her playing cards. Jiraiya couldn't help but be amused by his young ward. She had the uncanny ability to befriend the most politically powerful figures, assuring alliances and diplomatic connections. Ever since she had _literally_ beaten sense into her fellow jinchuriki a few years back, she had been corresponding with the now Kazekage regularly. She wasn't lying when she referred to the boy as her best friend, truly the two lonely children had only each other for companionship. If it weren't for the fact that Konoha needed Naruto to be loyal to them, as both a resident and a ninja, he would have secured a marriage alliance between her and Gaara, if for no other reason than to secure their mutual future happiness.

But Jiraiya was a Konoha ninja first, and a Godfather second, so he would do what he had to for his village. He still wasn't looking forward to all the boys that would surely be after the orange-loving blond.

* * *

Shikamaru found all of his friends in the local Shinobi bar; their regular haunt. It was the best place to unwind after particularly stressful missions, a bar packed with allies and fellow ninjas. Putting out his cigarette so that he could avoid be chastised by his annoying teammate, he approached the group.

"Hey Shikamaru!" Tenten noticed him first, waving him over to where she was watching Neji and Lee in the middle of what looked to be a particularly intense game of Go.

"Hello Tenten," He greeted, "I thought you were on a mission this week?"

Other than Shikamaru, the only other jonin in his age group was Neji, the rest being chunin still. Tenten particularly, was a skilled weapons mistress, and was quite useful for any capture squads. This made her valuable to any jonin who needed support for any tricky missions.

"I was," She admitted, "I just got back though. Needed a drink and good company before I can convince myself to go back to an empty apartment."

Shikamaru nodded in understanding. It was practically a right of passage in Konoha to move out and get an apartment once you reach chunin, something that many his age struggled with. "Well then, allow me to join you. A whisky please." He said, giving his order to the bartender.

"I heard you just got back from a mission yourself." Tenten remarked.

The Nara nodded in affirmation, "That's true. I was gone for a few weeks on a mission."

He didn't offer any more information, and Tenten didn't ask. She was a Shinobi as well, and knew the importance of classified missions, especially for an ANBU like him.

"Well, I'm glad you're back." She smiled at him flirtatiously, angling her body subtly so that her teammates weren't in her line of vision.

Shikamaru noticed this, of course. There was very little he didn't notice. It seemed as if her crush on the Hyūga had yet to fade; pity. Tenten was a great girl, and if Shikamaru didn't swear to himself that he would _never_ get involved with a fellow Konoha Shinobi, he might have responded to her flirtations and asked her out. But he did forsake ever getting involved with a fellow ninja, so he took a swig of his whisky instead. Regardless of his own thoughts though, she could do better than Neji Hyūga.

It wasn't that Shikamaru was heartless in the matter of love, far from it, but he was a man of logic. And frankly, it was illogical getting mixed up with a peer. They would both be on dangerous missions, and if it didn't work out, he would still be forced to work with the girl. Besides, his very job was seducing other, foreign women; no girl, no matter how understanding, would be okay with their significant other bedding other women. So he didn't date; ever. He fooled around with his fair share of random civilians, never anything serious though.

The day that he retires his ANBU mask, he supposed he would marry some normal girl from a civilian family. A girl with average looks, an average personality, average intelligence. Someone who could act as the matriarch of the Nara family, give him a few kids, and play her role as a wife of a Shinobi. He wasn't looking for anything spectacular, he didn't deserve anything spectacular after all the hearts he inadvertently breaks in his line of work.

Despite it all, Shikamaru was okay with this. He had long since come to the conclusion that he was a monster of the worst type; a puppeteer that played jovially with the strings of female desire and emotion.

And now, now he had to go against his most personal law and seduce a fellow ninja. He just hoped that this Naruto Uzumaki would prove herself to be interesting.


	4. A Meeting

"Shikamaru, I'm worried about you." Ino declared as she took a seat opposite from him.

The Nara rolled his eyes, his teammate was always dramatic. Here he was, attempting to enjoy his lunch before going back to his office in the ANBU headquarters, when Ino decided that interrupting his personal time was a good idea.

"What are you talking about this time?" He asked with a sigh. He had a lot of experience dealing with the Yamanaka, and he learned quite a long time ago that the best way to handle her was to go along with whatever the hell it was that she wanted. Otherwise he would be there forever.

Ino rolled her eyes at his obvious disinterest, "I'm being serious here Shikamaru! I've been super close to you since we were Genin, yet you've never even shown any interest in a girl! You're a jonin, yet you've never even had a girlfriend! At this point, you're never going to get married."

Shikamaru resisted the urge to facepalm, it was pathetic how little his closest friends actually knew him, "You say this like you have a boyfriend."

Ino shuffled nervously in her seat, "I may not have a boyfriend, but at least I have actual experience!"

The Nara snorted, "I don't think your two dates with the civilian who works at the café next door counts as 'experience'. Or do we have completely different definitions of the word?"

The blond chunin sighed, "Stop trying to change the subject. You're a complete workaholic, and I get it, you're an ANBU, but life doesn't just revolve around your job. You should at least _consider_ dating."

Shikamaru just took another bite of his food, "Why do you even care, Ino?"

"Because you're my friend!" She exclaimed, "I just want you to be happy Shikamaru."

"I'm plenty happy," Shikamaru was really irritated by his teammate sometimes.

"What about Tenten? I saw you talk to her at the bar last weekend." She prompted suggestively.

"Yes, friends typically tend to talk to one another from time to time," Shikamaru responded with a sarcastic drawl.

Ino shoved him, "Oh come on, you know what I mean. She was smiling at you all flirtatiously."

"Tenten is head over heels in love with Neji."

"Still?" Ino asked incredulously.

It was a well known fact that Tenten had harbored a crush on the Hyuga since their Genin days, however she had been vehemently denying said accusation for the last few years. Most people assumed that she got over the crush, but Shikamaru knew better.

"Still," Shikamaru confirmed with a nod, "And you should know better than most people Ino, I don't get involved with fellow Shinobi."

The mind-walker sighed, "You're going to end up completely alone at this rate."

"I'm perfectly content with that."

* * *

"Ew, I don't know how you could drink this stuff," Naruto gagged, wiping her sake soaked tongue on a napkin.

Jiraiya shrugged, "Most ninjas enjoy a small amount of alcohol indulgence every now and then."

"Yeah, well most ninjas are idiots," Naruto stated matter of factly, pushing the cup of sake as far away from her as possible.

"Well you're not wrong about that," Jiraiya responded, "Speaking of which, I see a poor lonely female who needs my attention. I'll see you back at the hotel."

Naruto shook her head in exasperation as she watched her sensei scamper after the pretty brunette who had just left the restaurant unaccompanied. It looked like it would be once again another night for her to spend alone. And of course, as per usual, she was left with the bill. She rolled her eyes as she placed money on the table, before getting up and making her way out of the restaurant.

They were currently in the Land of Rivers, a small country which bordered the Land of Fire. It was quite a nice country, one Naruto had visited a few times in the past, so she had no trouble wondering around the town as she was lost in thought. They would be in the Land of Fire by tomorrow, and finally, _finally,_ Naruto would be considered a real ninja.

She had been waiting for this moment her entire life, wanting nothing more than to finally be recognized as a Shinobi of Konoha. It was her dream, one that she would soon be able to accomplish. A grin stretched across her face at the thought, her whisker marks twitching in anticipation.

Soon enough, she passed by an ice cream stand, where she couldn't help but purchase a strawberry cone. Taking a seat at the only empty chair, she was dismayed to find herself unexpectedly staring straight into the face of a beautiful girl. "Oh! Sorry, I didn't see you sitting here, I was sort of lost in thought," Naruto admitted sheepishly.

The pretty girl in the pink kimono giggled, "Oh don't worry about it! I do the same type of thing all the time."

The blond grinned, "I'm Naruto, it's a pleasure!"

"I'm Haku. Nice to meet you."

* * *

"I've noticed you got a new mission."

Shikamaru looked up from the paperwork sprawled across his desk, only to find Ibiki leaning on the doorway to his office with an amused smile on his face. "Yeah, this mission is going to be an interesting one."

Ibiki chuckled, walking into the office and taking a seat in front of his desk, "Tsunade chose well. I don't think anyone else would be able to accomplish the mission."

Shikamaru shrugged, "I'm the only one who made sense. As the youngest in the department, I'm the only one able to seduce the girl without suspicion."

"Despite that, you're the best in the department. I look forward to see how you'll handle a seduction on your home turf."

Shikamaru rolled his eyes, "You are way too amused by this assignment."

Ibiki laughed, "That is quite true. It'll be fun to watch you attempt to seduce a girl while sticking to your true character."

Really Shikamaru wondered why he willingly associated with such annoying people. First Ino with her insistent meddling, and now Ibiki, who found a twisted sort of amusement through Shikamaru's suffering.

"Well, I'm glad that you can laugh at my tribulations," Shikamaru drawled, "While you're here, sign this for me."

Ibiki picked up the paper that was slid towards him, quickly scanning it before signing it with a flourish, "How are you liking your new office?"

Shikamaru had only had this office for the last two weeks. Once he got back from his last mission, and consequently assigned his new one, he had been officially promoted. He was now Shikamaru Nara, ANBU Vice Captain of the Seduction Squad. With his lovely promotion, came much more responsibilities. He was now in charge of most seduction missions, whether they be ANBU related or not, they went through him first. This involved quite a lot of paperwork, which was perhaps why Shikamaru was promoted in the first place.

While he was unparalleled in terms of skill, Shikamaru knew that the only reason he was promoted instead of his other, more experienced colleagues, was his abnormally high IQ. This allowed him to comfortably fill out a plethora of paperwork, while simultaneously still able to go out on missions. This also left Ibiki, as the Captain and Head of the Department of Torture and Interrogations, as his direct supervisor.

"I quite like the office," Shikamaru responded candidly, "Not that it makes too much of a difference. It doesn't matter where I complete my paperwork, just that it gets done."

Ibiki smiled, "You know, you're quite the workaholic."

Shikamaru snorted, "Coming from you, that means quite a lot."

"It's not a bad thing. I respect that about you," Ibiki explained, "Well anyways, I'll leave you to your paper pushing. Maybe some of this mind numbing work will help you think of ways to complete your new mission."

* * *

"How much further?" Naruto whined, turning her puppy dog eyes towards her beloved sensei.

Jiraiya just rubbed his forehead in exasperation, "For the thousandth time Naruto, we're almost at the Land of Fire. From there, we'll go on to a small town, where we'll meet up with a team from Konoha who will escort us safely to the village."

Naruto groaned, throwing her hands behind her head, "Remind me again why we need an escort? I'm sure you know where the village is."

"Because dear Naru-chan, you've never been inside the village, barring the first three weeks of your life. It's standard protocol to have a Shinobi escort when a foreign ninja comes to the village for the first time." The toad sennin explained.

"But I'm neither foreign nor a ninja." Naruto said, her head tilted adorably to the side in confusion.

"You're not foreign, but you did grow up in a foreign country. And you may not be a ninja, but you have all the skills. So Tsunade determined that she won't take any chances with angering the council. Therefor, you get an escort. Think about it this way, you'll be able to make friends before even stepping a foot inside Konoha!"

"Huh," Naruto responded, "Well that's certainly true. Do you think that they'll like ramen!?"

Jiraiya shook his head in exasperation, "I think you're a little too addicted to ramen."

Naruto gasped dramatically, a hand being raised to her heart, "How dare you!? Ramen is the food of the gods, there is no such thing as being too addicted to it."

The sennin just chuckled as he tussled her hair, "Whatever you say Naru-chan, whatever you say."

* * *

"For the love of Kami, get rid of that cigarette or I swear I'll toss you out of the window." Tsunade declared angrily.

Shikamaru grumbled as he put out his cigarette, tossing it into the trash bin near the door, "You called, Hokage-sama?"

"She'll be arriving today," The Medic said, cutting right to the chase.

There was no need to explain who 'she' was, after all, there was only one person as to who they could be referring to. "I see. Is there a particular way you would like me to proceed?"

"I have already sent ahead a team to formally escort them into the village," Tsunade informed her subordinate, "My speciality isn't seduction, so I won't go ahead and tell you how to do your job. What I will say, however, is what I know about the girl."

Shikamaru quirked an eyebrow, "You're aquatinted with the target?"

Tsunade nodded, "She is my teammates student after all. It's not common knowledge, but Naruto is actually the one who convinced me to come back to Konoha and accept the mantle of Hokage."

Shikamaru was taken aback, he didn't expect this, "I was unaware. You know the girl, yet you still need me to determine her loyalties?"

Tsunade sighed, "I want to trust the girl, I do. But I'm the leader of the village, it's my job to be absolutely certain. And Jiraiya and I have been wrong about people before."

Shikamaru nodded, he knew she was speaking of her other teammate, "What can you tell me about her?"

"She is loud and boisterous. Overconfident in many aspects of her life, and she will not hesitate to share her opinion," Tsunade described, "She's powerful though. Last time I saw her, the girl was only 13, but she was able to go head to head with an experienced chunin. She's pretty; blond hair, tan, blue eyes. She grew up alone, so she's desperate for attention and companionship, so I don't think it'll be too difficult to establish at least a friendship with her. She values high morals, strength and kindness, looking down on those who pray on the weak."

"She sounds… exhausting," Shikamaru remarked with a grimace. Everything about the girl that Tsunade had described sounded intense; the complete opposite of Shikamaru's usual type. He was lazy, it was a well known fact. He usually preferred low maintenance girls, the type that would be content to sit back and let him handle the important matters. He preferred average girls; average in looks, average in intelligence, in strength. That way Shikamaru could have the least amount of troubles possible. This Naruto Uzumaki sounded like everything but average.

Tsunade laughed, "I warned you that it would be a difficult mission. Naruto has a very strong personality, and if you ever want her to notice you, you're going to need to use every weapon in your arsenal."

* * *

Kiba Inuzuka, by his very nature, was not a patient man. At the age of 16, Kiba wanted nothing more than for time to pass quicker, because he was certainly going to die from boredom at this rate. "How much longer?" The boy asked with a whine, looking forward to the end of this ridiculously dull mission.

Kurenai sighed as she regarded her old student. The chunin, while a formidable ninja in his own right, was still quite immature. They had only received the mission this morning, Tsunade-sama stressing the importance of the seemingly innocent task. Why the Hokage felt it pertinent to send two jonin and two chunin on an escort mission, Kurenai wasn't certain.

"For the love of Kami, would you stop whining?" Neji bit out. He had been hearing the dog-loving ninja complain about the 'stupidity' of an escort mission for several hours now, and the jonin, while usually stoic and uncaring, had reached the end of his patience.

"Uh… Kiba? Perhaps you should tone down the whining before Neji decides to use you as target practice," Sakura spoke up, looking wearily between the two boys. The accomplished medic, just like her current teammates, was quite confused as to why this mission was assigned to her. She had been completing her rounds in the Hospital when the Hokage called for her. However, she knew that her sensei certainly must have had her reasons, so she didn't dwell on the specifics for too long.

The odd team of four were stationed in a small town on the outskirts of the Land of Fire, awaiting for their guest to arrive. Their mission was to escort Jiraiya of the sennin and his student into Konohagakure, and it seemed like Tsunade wanted to take no chances in regards to presentation, for she assembled this team for the sole purpose of demonstrating the remarkable prowess and diversity Konoha had to offer. Kurenai served as a representation of their advancements in genjutsu, Neji for his Kekkei Genkai, Kiba for the uniqueness of his bond with Akamaru, and Sakura for her medic skills.

Just when Kiba had reached the limit of his restraint, Kurenai pointed off into the distance, "Look. They're here."

Two figures were slowly approaching, both lazily strolling towards the small town. The first figure was a tall man, his long white hair visible from even a great distance. He wore a red haori and a gigantic scroll was strapped to his back. A headband with the symbol for 'oil' was tied around his forehead. Anyone who had ever picked up a bingo book, or even Icha Icha for that matter, would instantly recognize him as the powerful Toad Sennin.

The second figure wasn't as recognizable, however she was equally, if not more, unforgettable. She was breathtaking; long blond hair reaching down her waist, tight leather pants and a long sleeve orange shirt which hugged her incredible figure, large blue eyes that twinkled with mirth as she giggled at something her sensei had said.

Kiba had to remind himself to pick his jaw off the floor, lest the gorgeous girl notice the drool that was certainly falling past his lips.

"She's beautiful," Neji whispered in shock. Sakura, as the only person to notice the usually stoic mans exclamation, turned to look at him in disbelief. Since when did Hyuga notice girls? Sakura was under the impression that the older boy was asexual.

As they got closer, the Konoha squad noticed the pretty blond break into a grin, "Hey guys! You must be the ninjas from Konoha, it's nice to meet you! I'm Naruto Uzumaki."

Kurenai, as the one the least affected by the presence of the legendary ninja and his surprisingly attractive student, was the first to reply, "It is wonderful to meet you Naruto, and a pleasure to see you once again Jiraiya-sama. My name is Kurenai, the Captain for this particular mission. My teammates here are Neji Hyuga, Kiba Inuzuka, and Sakura Haruno."

The other Konoha nins said their greetings politely, while Jiraiya spoke, "It's good to be back in the Land of Fire, it's been too long. There's probably a lot of different buildings and structures by now."

"There are," Kurenai responded with a nod, "There has been a lot of reconstruction over the years."

"How about you make sure to give me a tour of the village?" Jiraiya asked suggestively, his eyebrows wiggling comically.

A hand was quick to wack the perverted older man on the back of the head, "Cut it out, wouldn't you Ero-sennin!" Naruto lectured. Turning towards the genjutsu mistress, the Uzumaki bowed, "I apologize on behalf of my sensei. He's a pervert, but he has good intentions… most of the times."

Kiba burst out in laughter, "Did you just call one of the most powerful ninjas in the world 'Ero-sennin'?"

Naruto grinned as she rubbed the back of her head sheepishly, "Well I call em like I see em! And this man is the biggest pervert I know!"

Sakura giggled, "You're kind of funny. Don't you get in trouble for calling your sensei by such a degrading name?"

"I doubt it," Neji chimed in, "According to their dynamics so far, it seems as though they act more like a family than they do student and teacher."

"Oy! Don't presume stuff Hyuga! That nickname is the absolute worst!" Jiraiya cried out.

Naruto laughed at his pout, "Ignore Ero-sennin, he always gets like this. Plus, Pretty Haired Boy got it right, we really are like a family."

"Pretty Haired Boy?" Neji questioned with his eyebrow slightly raised.

Naruto blushed a bit, "Sorry, I didn't exactly catch your name. I have a bad habit of calling people by nicknames."

"Yes, we've noticed," the Hyuga replied, amusement coloring his words.

Kiba narrowed his eyes at the older boy, "Yo, I don't remember the last time I've seen Neji so amused. What's that about?"

Neji rolled his eyes, "I _do_ have a sense of humor you know."

Sakura just tilted her head to the side innocently, "Really?"

Naruto just giggled, "I'm sure he does. He seems like a pretty cool guy!"

Neji smirked in victory, sending a condescending look towards the Inuzuka. He didn't fail to notice how the Dog Boy kept eyeing Naruto up and down, his gaze dragging down the blonds perfect figure.

"Well, shall we proceed?" Kurenai asked, ready to get back home.

"Let's." Jiraiya agreed, walking off towards the direction of Konoha.

* * *

Shikamaru took a long drag from his cigarette, his back leaning on the wall near the gates of Konoha, the shadows helping him blend into his surroundings. His gaze was directed towards the sky, watching the simple movement of the clouds above. He really hoped that Naruto Uzumaki would prove to be less remarkable than Tsunade described. Anything else would be just much too troublesome for him to handle.

He stood there waiting for his target to arrive. He needed more intel on the girl before he could make his move, after all, the first impression usually set the tone for every future meeting following. He needed to secretly watch her interact with fellow ninja in order to determine how to proceed. He would also try to extract information from one of the Shinobi tasked with escorting the girl. After spending a few hours in her presence, surely they must have some useful information pertaining to her.

Soon enough, he could spot the silhouettes of his peers, followed by two other ninja he had never met. Jiraiya the sennin was easily recognizable. The only one he didn't know, had to be Naruto. Shikamaru focused his gaze on her, trying to pick up any subtle cues from her body language that could help him understand her personality more.

As they got closer, Shikamaru couldn't help but curse out loud. Naruto Uzumaki was perhaps one of the most beautiful girls he had ever seen. This was going to be troublesome.


	5. A Plan

Naruto couldn't help the grin that enveloped her face as she approached the office of her favorite old drunkard. Throwing open the door with gusto, Naruto strolled in with her hands linked behind her head, "Hey Baa-chan! Long time no see!"

The Konoha Shinobi who followed her all sweat-dropped at the boisterous blonds antics. "She's pretty suicidal, huh?" Kiba remarked with a wince.

"Looks like it," Neji agreed.

"Wow, sensei is not gonna take that well," Sakura mentioned.

Naruto just continued to smile jovially as she ducked, narrowly missing the chair that was chucked at her head, "WHAT DID YOU JUST CALL ME, BRAT?!" Tsunade screeched at the orange loving teen.

"I'm glad to see that responsibility didn't change you," Jiraiya spoke, amusement coloring his tone, as he took a seat in front of his old teammates desk.

With gritted teeth, Tsunade bit out, "Jiraiya, control your student."

Naruto laughed as she took a seat beside her sensei, "Oh come on Baa-chan, don't act like you're surprised by my attitude."

The Hokage just slumped into her seat, "Was it too much to hope that you would have somehow developed manners within these last three years?"

"Yes," Both Naruto and Jiraiya dead-panned simultaneously.

"Yeah, I thought so," Tsunade sighed, "Kurenai, thank you for escorting them here. You are all dismissed."

The Konoha Shinobi bowed politely, before making their way out of the Hokage's office. Just before they left, Sakura turned to look back at her newest friend, "Hey Naruto! Let's meet up sometime soon, okay?"

Naruto smiled, her eyes twinkling, "Of course Sakura-chan! I'll look for you!"

Tsunade couldn't help but smile as her subordinates left, "It seems like you already made a friend."

Naruto nodded enthusiastically, "Yeah! They're all really awesome! Sakura-chan was so sweet to me, she even offered to give me a tour around the village!"

"More than just Sakura offered to give you a tour," Jiraiya mumbled angrily.

The Uzumaki rolled her eyes, accustomed to her Godfathers antics, "Relax Ero-sennin, the boys were just being friendly."

"The boys?" Tsunade inquired innocently.

Jiraiya grumbled, "The Inuzuka and the Hyuga were both all too willing to spend more time with little Naru-chan here."

"Like I said, they were being friendly," Naruto affirmed.

Tsunade snorted. Neji was many things, but friendly was not one of them. Although, she supposed, she shouldn't be too surprised at the boys enthusiasm. Naruto had grown into a truly beautiful young woman. Men would fight over a chance to be with her. It looks like Shikamaru's job might be more difficult than she first assumed.

"Well Naruto, welcome to Konoha," The Hokage greeted.

"Thank you so much for everything Baa-chan! I can't wait to prove to everyone just how useful I will be as a ninja of Konoha!"

Tsunade opened her drawer, and as she rifled through it, she spoke, "Jiraiya has been keeping me up to date on your progress, I'm all too happy to make you an official Shinobi."

Naruto's eyes widened as she was handed a headband. She reverently touched the polished metal plate, her fingers tentatively outlining the symbol of the leaf. Blinking away the tears from her eyes, she tied the black cloth around her neck.

"I will make you proud," Naruto promised, her head bowed.

Tsunade smiled, "I know you will. Congratulations, genin Naruto."

* * *

Shikamaru signed the form with a flourish, before sighing and reaching for yet another form from the never-ending stack of paperwork. It had been two hours since he decided to take a break to observe his newest target. The girl was absolutely beautiful, he admitted. While he didn't stay and observe the girl for long, lest his fellow Shinobi notice, he knew that he would have some competition vying for her attentions.

He had to plan this correctly. Seduction, in his humble opinion, was like a game of shogi. He never lost at shogi. As long as he continued to plan several moves in advance, meticulously planning each and every interaction, he will have no problems. Girls were all the same, he knew, it didn't matter _how_ beautiful she was, she will respond the same as all the others. He just had to be careful with how he proceeded, especially since he had to trick his entire village into thinking he was truly smitten with the girl.

"Yo, Shikamaru," Anko called as she peaked into her superiors office, "Do you have file 34-BG?"

Shikamaru wordlessly raised a file, his eyes never moving from the paper that he was scanning. Anko waltzed into the office, grabbing the folder and taking a seat at the chair situated in front of his desk. Rifling through the file, Anko spoke, "Is this all you have on the subject?"

The Nara sighed, finally putting aside his paperwork to look at Anko, "That's all you need."

Anko narrowed her eyes, "The man is a bastard to break, I'm going to need more information on him if I want to know what buttons to push."

"Not my problem," Shikamaru responded callously.

Anko resisted the urge to throttle the younger man. She was one of the brightest Shinobi in the Torture and Interrogation Unit, a pure artist with a blade. Due to her position as a torturer, she often times had to work with the Seduction Squad, as they were responsible for collecting most of the intel outside of the village walls. With Shikamaru now as Vice Captain, that meant going through him if she wanted any sort of info on her subjects. And while they could probably refer to each other as friends, they had one of the most _unique_ relationships. They were quite famous in the unit for getting into screaming matches. Well, Anko would scream, Shikamaru would just lazily reply in his smug little attitude.

"Just tell me what you know, and I swear I'll stop calling you Captain Flirt in front of your friends," Anko leveraged. As one of the only people who knows of Shikamaru's true occupation, she often times enjoyed making not-so-subtle references to it in public, causing the Nara untold amounts of grief.

Shikamaru raised a brow, "Oh really?"

Anko's eye twitched. She really hated catering to the younger man. "Yes. Really," She bit out.

Shikamaru smirked, as his eyes widened in faux innocence, "Oh no! It seems like I forgot to give you the rest of the file! Here you go Anko, my bad."

Taking the file from the lying jonin, Anko stood up in anger. "I'm going to get you back if it's the last thing I do," She swore.

The lazy man just smiled, waving the older woman out of his office, "Yes yes, have fun with getting your revenge. I have paperwork to finish, so if you would excuse me."

* * *

"Did you hear what Tsunade said?" Jiraiya asked his young ward as they exited the Hokage tower.

Naruto distractedly answered, too busy taking in the sights of her new home, "Yeah yeah yeah. I'm a genin for now, placed in a team with the jonin something Kakashi, and chunin's Sakura and Sai. I can take the Chunin Exams that are coming in a few months if I want to get promoted, but until then I'm to work with Team 7, who I will have to meet tomorrow at 5 am."

Jiraiya sighed. He knew he had no chance of getting the young blonds attention, not now at least. He supposed the least he could do is get some research in, "All right brat, I'm going to the Hot Springs. You're on your own."

"Wait," The Uzumaki quickly stopped him, "You have my key."

The Toad Sage almost facepalmed, before shoving his hand into his pocket, and pulling put a solitary metal key, "Don't lose it, brat. You remember how to get to the apartment, right?"

The elder man pointed out her future apartment building earlier in the day, he only hoped that his Goddaughter was actually paying attention. Waving away his reservations, Naruto answered, "Yeah yeah I remember Ero-sennin. I'm just going to look around the village, have fun peeping."

Jiraiya smacked the back of her head, as he left the young woman to her own devices. Wincing and rubbing her head in pain, Naruto continued to walk around Konoha, her eyes eagerly soaking up every detail.

This was it. She was finally here. Home.

For years she dreamed of this day, the day where she would be allowed to wear a ninja headband with pride, showing everyone just how powerful she really was. She was a part of something now, something greater than her. She was part of a village, she now had a home to protect, with people she would grow to care for.

Naruto was accustomed to being alone. Until she met Ero-sennin, she had no one to talk to. The Elders of Uzushiogakure weren't interested in keeping the young girl company, choosing to just give her scrolls and ink, allowing her to practice forming seals. But then her Godfather came, taking her away from a life of loneliness.

And then there was Kurama. They didn't get along at first, but frankly, Naruto wouldn't get rid of the big fur-ball for all the money in the world.

 _ **I'm not your pet**_ , Kurama spoke from her mindscape, easily able to read her thoughts.

Naruto snorted, _You sure act like it._

 _ **I feel as though I should be offended.**_

Naruto shrugged, _Probably._

They didn't have the most conventional friendship, what with him being an immortal demon fox imprisoned in her stomach, but she loved him like family regardless. With her thoughts occupied on arguing with the fox, she didn't notice where she was walking until she bumped into something. Hard.

She stumbled back with a wince, as a hand quickly reached to stabilize her. "Are you okay?" A deep, unfamiliar voice questioned.

Finally gathering her baring, Naruto spoke, "Yeah, I'm okay. Just _really_ clumsy. Thanks!" Looking up to greet the tall man she unwittingly bumped into, she was surprised to see deep brown eyes staring at her in concern. _Wow. He's attractive._

Scratching the back of her head nervously, she continued, "I'm really sorry for bumping into you! I wasn't really paying attention to where I was walking… and yeah… Hehe…"

Shikamaru bit back a curse as he realized just _who_ it was who crashed into him. This wasn't how it was supposed to go! He had a plan, a plan that had to be followed by the letter. A plan that did _not_ include bumping into his target early and by accident. He was walking home, having just finished work for the day. His mind was completely preoccupied with thoughts of his ongoing mission, when he happened to literally crash into the object of his thoughts.

Running a hand through his hair in slight irritation, he replied, "It's fine, I wasn't paying attention either."

Naruto chuckled anxiously, "My first day as a Shinobi and I'm already caught unaware. Not doing so good, am I?"

Shikamaru smirked, "Not really, no. But that's to be expected. Shinobi shouldn't have to be on alert in their own village. It's safe here."

The Uzumaki grinned up at the kind stranger, "Right, of course it is! Sorry again for the whole bumping into you thing."

"It's really not a problem, I assure you," Shikamaru responded with a small laugh, his lips twisting into a sultry smile, "I haven't ever seen you around the village before. I thought I've had the pleasure of meeting all of our fellow shinobi."

It was then that Naruto noticed the headband tied around his bicep, "That's because I just got here. Naruto Uzumaki, newly minced genin and citizen of Konoha, nice to meet you!"

Shaking her hand, Shikamaru greeted, "It's nice to meet you, too. Shikamaru Nara, jonin."

Naruto's eyes widened in surprise, "You're a jonin? But you're my age!"

Shikamaru shrugged lazily, "It sort of just happened."

"Wow," Naruto said, "You must be pretty strong."

"Not really," The Nara replied, "The Hokage just wanted to promote me so that she has someone to pass on some of her paperwork. It has nothing to do with my strength."

"Somehow, I _really_ doubt that."

The lazy jonin raised a brow, "And why is that?"

Naruto shrugged, "It's just a feeling I have."

"Do you always get _feelings_ regarding the men that you randomly bump into?"

Naruto blushed, "I already apologized about that."

"Did you now?" Shikamaru teased.

"Yes, I did."

"I don't recall accepting your apology."

"Then you should check your memory, for you definitely said, and I quote, 'it's really not a problem'."

"See, I chose not to remember that."

"And why not?"

"Because now I demand payment."

"Payment?" Naruto asked, her head tilted adorably to the side in confusion.

Shikamaru smirked, "Payment."

"What kind of payment?" Naruto questioned innocently.

Oh Kami, this might be _too_ easy, Shikamaru thought.

"You'll have to buy me a drink of course," Shikamaru announced.

"A drink?"

"Yes, it's synonymous for beverage? Have you heard of it?"

"I know what a drink is," Naruto pouted, crossing her arms.

Shikamaru chuckled, "There's this Shinobi bar that's really popular with our age group. We tend to all meet there after dinner, you should join us."

Naruto grinned, "That sounds nice. But I'm not buying you a drink."

"And why not? You crashed into me, did you not?"

"Well, yes, but-"

"Causing me both emotional and physical pain."

"You're a ninja," She dead-panned.

"And your point is?"

"You're not going to let this go, huh?"

"Absolutely not."

"Then I guess I'll see you tonight."

* * *

Shikamaru smirked victoriously as he lazily walked home, a cigarette hanging from his lips. He didn't plan on meeting Naruto today, at least not this early. But he was happy that the first meeting between them turned out to be a success. He just had to make sure that every other meeting goes to plan.

Naruto, was absolutely nothing like he imagined. A complete contradiction to his previous thoughts. She was… _entertaining_. That is word he has never used in regards to his female targets. He was accustomed to being bored by women, they offered no challenge to him. No thrill. They were all the same. It was ever so dull.

Naruto was unpredictable, though. While Shikamaru appreciated her interesting demeanor, he also found himself weary. Seduction, at least _true_ seduction, is the product of careful planning. It wouldn't work well for Shikamaru if Naruto continued to act unpredictably. He just hoped she wasn't as dynamic as he was starting to believe.

* * *

Neji took a sip of his sake, his eyes carefully taking in the surroundings of the packed bar. All around, he could see his friends mulling about, a plethora of exhausted Shinobi all taking refuge at the bottom of a glass.

Tenten, his friend and teammate, sat besides him, laughing at a story that Lee was entertaining her with. He supposed that he should probably be paying attention to them, but he was slightly preoccupied. Suddenly, a flash of orange passed by his vision. Turning around towards the entrance, he was happy to see that she had finally arrived.

With a small smile, he rose from his seat to greet the new Shinobi. Ever since that morning, he has been thinking of Naruto Uzumaki. She was beautiful, and kind, and just absolutely wonderful. Just as he was about to call her name, he watched as she grinned widely, skipping over to the end of the bar, where she cheerfully greeted Shikamaru Nara…

What the hell?


	6. A Rival

Shikamaru smirked as he leaned on the bar. His finger slowly trailed the edge of his glass as he chuckled softly at the tale Kiba was currently spinning. It had been a long day, he reflected. Work had been as tedious as usual; Anko was always a pain to deal with. An amusing pain, but a pain none the less. In the back of his mind, he knew he loved his job. The thrill of political intrigue, of ripping secrets from the lips of strangers with a distinguishable sort of grace that bordered on poetical.

As if work, and the endless stack of paperwork of which he was sure rivaled the Hokage's herself wasn't enough, he prematurely bumped into the single shinobi in Konoha that he wanted to avoid. Naruto was interesting, he knew. Gorgeous, of that he had no doubt. Smart too, despite hiding it under a brash and almost rude exterior. After all, very few in the world could survive being a hidden Jinchuriki, trained by a sennin or not, Naruto had to have some modicum of intelligence to last this long.

It didn't take long for Shikamaru to learn the truth behind Tsunade's excessive vetting process. He thought it odd that the Hokage found the matter of Naruto's loyalty so important, that she dispatched her best spy and interrogator to uncover her hidden allegiances. Yes, her being trained by Jiraiya made her powerful and a good potential ally, but using seduction tactics on a shinobi of Konoha was a little much. After meeting the girl, and finding the blond so utterly _sincere_ , he moved along his timeline and decided to prod around.

In the few hours between meeting the girl and coming to the bar, he was able to learn much about the hidden agenda of the Hokage, as well as the sheer importance of his mission. It was a well hidden secret, he admitted, the Third Hokage had gone to many lengths in order to protect the girl as well as her furry little secret. But the Earth of Konoha remembered, the tangible secret buried deep into the villages _roots_.

Shikamaru bit his lip in an attempt to stop the laugh that was inevitably bubbling forth. Oh how he wished to be there to witness his favorite chess opponent realizing just how royally he screwed up in his arrogance. _He_ was sure to retaliate the moment he realized the Nara's game. Shikamaru couldn't wait.

For Shikamaru Nara, despite all his whining and complaining, certainly loved the intrigue of politics.

* * *

Naruto had never known another village quite as beautiful and majestic as Konoha. Perhaps she was a bit biased, this was to be her home now, but Naruto had travelled the world. She had seen and walked through every village, bar Iwa for reasons that became obvious to Naruto after the revelation of her parents, and she had never been to a place as utterly magnificent as this.

It was large, a booming village filled with civilians and shinobi alike, all interacting in a pleasant sort of harmony. It was something unseen in the other villages, this level of peace. It was a boisterous place, one that Naruto knew she would grow quite accustomed to. She loved it.

Despite Ero-sennins previous jokes, she _was_ paying attention to him, and was able to find her apartment building with ease. It was a small one, located on the fourth floor with a north-facing window, but she loved it. It was her first _true_ home. She had been living on the road for so long, she almost forgot what it felt like to have her own bed and personal space.

Loneliness. It was a feeling she had gotten intimately familiar with, especially during the first nine years of her life. Other than her perverted old sensei, Gaara, and a few other random individuals, she didn't have much experience with making friends. Yet already the shinobi of Konoha were quite kind to her.

Kurenai displayed herself as a kind older sister, someone willing to fight tooth and nail for her younger peers. Kiba was as loud as Naruto was, hilarious, and someone she could easily find herself getting along with. Neji was kind, if somewhat distant and odd. Sakura was such a sweet girl, displaying a warmth that Naruto had rarely experienced.

Then there was that odd man she bumped into earlier; Shikamaru Nara. He walked with a hunch and half-hooded eyes, looking as though he wanted nothing but a good nap. Lazy, she would call him under different circumstances. But she saw the spark in his eye as they went back and forth, the intelligence that radiated as his silver tongue twisted and contorted until Naruto agreed to do his bidding and buy him a drink. Naruto was stubborn, she knew, it wasn't easy to convince her to do anything. Yet this man managed to do it with a few words and a well-placed smile.

 _ **You find him attractive, that is quite common for a kit of your age**_ , Kurama spoke in her mind.

Naruto bristled, _I do not! I just recognize his intelligence for what it is._

 _ **You recognize that he is a handsome man, with the strength and wisdom to back it up.**_

 _Kurama, do shut up please. And we have no proof that he's strong._

Kurama snorted, _**He's a jonin dear girl. One of the only of his age.**_

 _That Neji kid is a jonin too._

 _ **He is. Although that is to be expected of the Hyuga. He is even built like a fighter, with a power Kekkei Genkai to assist him in climbing through the ranks. Yet this Nara child has no secret power to assist him, only his own wit and strength. You would do well to keep that in mind.**_

 _You're weary of him,_ Naruto noticed with a jolt of surprise.

 _ **Of course I'm weary, don't be a fool. The Nara didn't survive this long on some secret jutsu. He's a part of a clan that is infamous for their merciless battle strategies. The fact that you find the boy attractive does little to help the matter.**_

 _For the last time, I do NOT find him attractive!_

 _ **You forget that I can clearly read your mind, but I digress. At the end of the day, the boy still made it to Jonin without dying. It says something for his battle prowess, just proceed with care.**_

 _I will._

* * *

Shikamaru had won yet another hand of poker when Naruto Uzumaki came skipping through the door. With a triumphant smirk, he stood to greet the girl.

"You actually showed up. And here I thought I was going to have to pay for my own drinks the rest of the night," He teased. The Nara was grateful that the bar was too loud and packed for anyone to hear him; it would be quite a blow to his reputation if he were to be caught flirting with the blond.

Naruto pouted, "I gave you my word, and Naruto Uzumaki _never_ goes back on her word."

He smirked, "Well that is quite an admirable trait, if a bit naïve."

"Naïve?" She bristled, "What is naïve about wanting to stick to my word?"

Shikamaru silently ordered two whiskey's before turning back to her, "You _do_ realize that you're a shinobi, right? And _sincere_ shinobi such as yourself never survive long."

She crossed her arms in indignation, "I've survived this long, haven't I?"

Taking a sip of his drink, he responded, "Yes, and I must say I find myself wondering how."

Naruto grinned, "Well the answer to that is quite easy, I kicked the ass of anyone stupid enough to challenge me!"

Shikamaru laughed as he handed her a glass, "Well I suppose that's one way of surviving."

"It's the _only_ way. No one messes with a person that can kick their ass."

"Surely you don't believe that? For there are always fools just running around ready to challenge their superiors, and methods other than violence that could inspire quite the fear in the hearts of men twice their size."

Naruto smiled as she drank her whisky, "Has anyone ever told you that you're quite an infuriating man to argue with?"

Shikamaru grinned, "Constantly."

"Naruto! Is that you?" Kiba called as he approached the pair, "I'm glad you could make it!"

Naruto turned to greet the boisterous man, "Hey Kiba!"

Before the greetings could continue, Shikamaru noticed a small silhouette of a purple-haired woman in the corner. With a barely noticeable nod, Shikamaru turned to his peers, "I'm afraid duty calls. This has been fun, Naruto. Looks like you'll have to keep your promise another time." With a final smile, and a lazy wave towards Kiba, the Nara shunshinned away.

"I see you met Shikamaru, the single laziest bastard in Konoha," Kiba noticed with a laugh.

Naruto quirked a brow. She had noticed that her newest acquaintance seemed a little apathetic and uncaring, however… "Isn't he a jonin? How could someone, especially the so called 'laziest bastard in Konoha', become a jonin if that were true?"

Kiba shrugged, "Hokage-sama was probably desperate to get rid of her paperwork, so she promoted him so that he could get a higher security clearance and help her with the mind numbing task of filing."

Naruto snorted. Shikamaru had told her the same thing earlier when she inquired about how he was able to become a jonin so young. It seemed as though it were a widely believed rumor. "Right, because I'm sure that Baa-chan is in the habit of promoting young shinobi just because she's too lazy to do paperwork herself."

Either Kiba didn't notice her sarcasm, or he chose to ignore it, for he nodded before changing the topic, "The others are having a drinking contest. You should join us, it'll give you a chance to meet some of the shinobi our age."

Naruto never did like drinking. But she wasn't one to turn down a challenge. So with a ferocious grin, she answered, "Count me in."

"Perfect!" Kiba exclaimed, "Come on, you'll love everyone!"

He dragged her by the arm towards his friends, "Everyone, this is our newest genin, Naruto Uzumaki. Naruto, meet Tenten and Lee, and you already know Neji."

"Hi Tenten and Lee, it's nice to meet you! And it's great to see you again Neji," Naruto greeted kindly.

Lee's eyes widened, "Wow, you're pretty."

"Umm… Thank you?" Naruto answered uncertainly, "So you guys are shinobi as well, huh?"

Tenten was quick to answer before Lee could make a fool of himself, "Yeah, we are chunin while Neji is a jonin. So, what brings you to join our village?"

Naruto winced as she answered, "The village I grew up in doesn't have a shinobi force. So my sensei brought me here."

It was a minimal answer, they all knew, but none of the shinobi attempted to pry further.

"I wasn't aware that you were acquainted with Nara," Neji randomly interjected, his tone cool.

Naruto shrugged, "I accidentally bumped into him in the streets earlier today."

Tenten laughed, "Trust Shikamaru to be too lazy to avoid a collision."

Naruto eyebrows furrowed. She was starting to notice a pattern between her fellow peers. No one seemed to genuinely respect Shikamaru Nara, finding him to be too lazy and uncaring. Perhaps that was the truth, maybe Shikamaru wasn't as remarkable as Kurama thought.

* * *

"How can I help you, Yugao?"" Shikamaru asked in annoyance as he gazed into the porcelain mask of his fellow Anbu. He had been enjoying spending time with his target, her persistence a welcome change from the women he usually pursued. Yet he still answered his friends secret signal, quickly shunshinning to his apartment, a place with so many seals set up that it was impossible to spy on the occupants inside.

The young woman removed her mask as she stared up her friend, "There's been some development on the mission you assigned me."

Handing him a scroll, Shikamaru tore it out of her grip as he read quickly. Technically, Yugao wasn't under his command, she belonged to the Logistics Department. The mission he assigned her also wasn't technically sanctioned by the Hokage. No this mission was personal.

"Damn it," He cursed, pacing towards his bookshelf to find an empty scroll and ink.

"This is a bad development Shikamaru."

"I _know_ that," He bit out as he wrote, "But it's not the worst that could have happened. I have already planned for this. Just make sure that this scroll gets delivered."

Yugao's eyes widened, "And _what_ part of your plan hinges on communication with the Kazekage?"

Shikamaru glared, "Don't worry about it. Just deliver the scroll."

* * *

Naruto woke up with the mother of all headaches. Ugh, she was never getting drunk again. How on _Earth_ did Ero-sennin do this every fucking night?!

Speaking of her perverted sensei, he was currently pounding on her door with unrelenting frequency, doing little to help with her ridiculous migraine.

She looked like a mess, she knew, her hair was sticking up in every direction, and her breath smelled like rotten milk. With an angry glare, she threw open the door, "What do you possibly want at this ungodly hour?"

"I wanted to check up on you before you're set to meet your new team. And it's a good thing I came, it looks like you had quite the fun night," Jiraiya withheld a laugh as he passed his Goddaughter his hangover cure.

Gulping down the disgusting concoction, Naruto winced, "I somehow got roped into a drinking contest."

Jiraiya chuckled as he grabbed a glass of water, "Well I'm glad you're having fun."

Naruto rolled her eyes, "Hey sensei, I have a question about one of the shinobi."

Her sensei took a seat on her couch as he answered, "Well, I don't know if I can answer, but I will try. Who are you concerned about?"

Naruto shuffled, "Yesterday I met this guy around my age. He's a jonin, seems pretty intelligent, and Kurama himself even warned me about him."

Jiraiya's brows raised, " _Kurama_ warned you?"

Naruto nodded, "He did. But while I was at the bar talking to other shinobi, I realized that no one else seemed to respect him. They find him to be too lazy. Not powerful. In fact, they seem to believe that the only reason he's a jonin is so that Baa-chan has someone to pass paperwork onto."

"I can't see Tsunade promoting someone for just that reason, regardless of her hatred for paperwork. What's the kids name?"

"Shikamaru Nara."

Jiraiya was mid-gulp as he spat out his water in shock, "The God-Slayer Shikamaru Nara?!"

"…What?"

Jiraiya sighed, "Do you recall Hidan of the Akatsuki?"

Naruto grimaced in disgust, "The immortal fucking-crazy bastard who refuses to fucking die? Unfortunately."

The Akatsuki was a sore topic for the blond, the group having been after her for years. She had run into them multiple times, thankfully they had yet to successfully capture her. Her friend Gaara, though, was less lucky. Although she had dealt with the bastards who took him, both Sasori and Deidara buried deep under ground.

Jiraiya nodded, "Hidan murdered the Nara's sensei. The very next month, Shikamaru hunted down the blood-worshipping psychopath and tore him into thousands of little pieces before burying him alive."

Naruto gaped, "How?! The man is literally _impossible_ to kill!"

Jiraiya shrugged, "He's a genius, or so I hear. It doesn't surprise me in the least that the shinobi here think so little of him. The Nara are famous for their lazy and uncaring demeanor. That's part of what makes them so dangerous."

* * *

Tsunade cast a glance around the room, watching the faces of the shinobi council as she told them about the newest edition to their ranks, "Her name is Naruto Uzumaki."

Danzo clenched his jaw in surprise, something that was practically unnoticeable to most people. Tsunade wasn't most people. According to the smirk that spread across the features of the youngest council member, Shikamaru Nara wasn't most people either.

As the Heir Apparent to the Nara Clan, he took his formal seat on the council the moment he became a jonin, the Nara chair having been empty due to his father holding the chair of Jonin Commander. He quickly wiped the self-satisfied smirk off his face, something she would have to ponder at a later time, his features contorting to his regular look of apathy.

Tsunade hoped that her master Seducer wasn't planning anything too destructive. The last thing she needed was the God-Slayer using his vastly superior intellect against her fellow council members. No matter how amusing it would be.

* * *

Danzo never liked being blindsided. There were very few things in Konoha which managed to escape his notice, his Root were stationed everywhere, their ears taking in all important information before coming back to their leader. From common trivialities to more important political secrets, Danzo knew it all. Yet this, _this_ they missed. The missing Jinchuriki was back in Konoha, yet Danzō was the last to know.

The day the container disappeared, 16 years ago, Danzo sent out almost all of his Root agents to scour the continent, looking everywhere for the young blond with the power of the demon fox. She was a spectacular weapon, one, if wielded correctly, could have the potential to completely and singlehandedly keep Konoha as the top village. And Danzo, after all, was just looking out for his home when he sent hundreds of ninja to look for the baby. But they never found her.

Yet an hour previous, he was blindsided during a council meeting with the news of the girls return. One of his many spies positioned around the village then came to him with the information that a beautiful young blond was seen wearing a headband of Konoha, a girl that was unrecognizable to the civilians. A defector from another village, they assumed.

They assumed incorrectly.

Danzo flipped a table in anger as he called in one of his agents. Impatiently he waited, his foot tapping in an unrestrained rage he hadn't felt since the days of boyhood.

"Sir," the blank face of his loyal agent apparently before him, his voice in a monotone, displaying no hint of emotion.

"Explain to me," Danzo seethed, "Just _how_ you missed that the jinchuriki was in Konoha."

The agent did not wince nor change his countenance in the slightest, "It seemed as though the girl was of no consequence."

Danzo scoffed, "No consequence? _No consequence?!_ If you had come to me with this information _sooner,_ before the brat stumbled into the Hokage's office and became an official shinobi of Konoha, we could have taken her in and raised her to be the weapon she was meant to be! Instead we sat idly by in ignorance as the Hokage sought fit to introduce the girl as a peer and fellow ninja."

"The other shinobi of her age do seem to be fond of the girl," The agent interjected.

Danzo withheld the urge to throttle his agent. He might have succeeded into turning his Root into perfect little puppets, but it seemed as though stripping them of their emotions also stripped them of their common sense and self-preservation.

"I am _surrounded_ by _fools_ ," Danzo whispered, "Is there any other pertinent information that you simply _forgot_ to tell me?"

"She was last seen with Shikamaru Nara."

"Get. Out." He demanded.

Shikamaru Nara was the single most infuriating brat in Konoha. He would have had the boy assassinated months ago if it weren't for his talent in the Seduction Squad. At every fucking turn, the little brat was there to thwart his plans. A subtle comment at a council meeting here, a mere suggestion to the Anbu Commander there. Danzo didn't miss the triumphant smirk on the Nara's face as Tsunade announced Naruto Uzumaki's return. It seemed as though the young man knew the importance of the blond, having discovered the secret that the girl hid. Danzo wondered how the boy found out.

No matter what Shikamaru Nara was planning, for he was certainly planning something, Danzo would win this battle of wits. The future of Konoha depended on it.


	7. A Neighbor

Naruto woke up with a grin spread across her face. This was her first official day as a ninja of Konoha, she was not going to disappoint. With a spring in her step, despite the ungodly hour, she set upon getting ready for the day. As she cooked her several packets of ramen, she strapped multiple kunai to her leg, ready for battle at a moments notice.

She wondered if this was how her parents felt on their first day as genin. They were only 12 at the time, compared to Naruto at 16, but she liked to think they felt the same mixture of excitement and trepidation. The same sweaty palms, the same twinkle in their eye as they imagined their life dedicated to the shinobi forces.

Naruto just hoped she got along with her team. She knew the importance of having a well working and complementing team, able to cover each other's weaknesses and blind spots. The first member of her team, she had already met. Sakura was an absolute doll; a medic if she remembered correctly. Apparently she apprenticed under Baa-chan for a while, and was widely proclaimed as a genius in the field. That was good; Naruto utterly sucked at first aid.

The other two people, however, she had no idea about. She had never heard of them before, which wasn't much of a surprise, this was her first time in Konoha after all. While she was intimately familiar with the power level of multiple foreign missing-nin, she knew next to nothing about the ones in her own home. At this point, she just hoped she got along with them.

She glanced up at the watch just as she was about to start her meal. She should probably leave soon if she wanted time to find where exactly Training Field 7 was. With a sigh, she placed her ramen in food containers. At least she could have it for lunch later.

* * *

Shikamaru sighed audibly as he leaned back into his couch. Tossing a scroll to the wayside, he brought up his hand to pinch the bridge of his nose in hopes of helping to reduce his headache. Other ninja's were incompetent, he realized. He had long since come to this conclusion, preferring to take the important tasks in his own hands, despite his hatred for additional work. However, he knew the only way anything would get done is if he did it himself.

This personal philosophy was once more proven as he read over the scroll that was just delivered to his door, at an absolutely ungodly hour. He had hoped, prayed really, that he wouldn't need to intervene in this specific mission; he had no interest in causing unnecessary drama, which his presence was sure to do. With another sigh, he got up, ready to hunt down he Hokage to ask her for permission to join the mission. He winced as he pictured the older woman's reaction; he had begged her for weeks to be exempt from this job aspect, now here he was _wanting_ to assist. Damn it.

With a groan, he lit up a cigarette before opening his door. It really was too early, he mused as he glanced at the window at the end of the hall, the sun hadn't even begun to rise yet. He placed the cigarette between his lips languidly as he locked the door behind him. Turning to make his descent down the four flights of stairs, he was surprised to find himself face to face with bright blue eyes.

"Oh. Hi Shikamaru! I didn't know you lived here," Naruto greeted warmly, if a bit awkwardly, as she closed her own door behind her.

Shikamaru blinked in confusion, his mind quickly coming up with the simplest answer: by luck or pure happenstance, Naruto Uzumaki happened to rent out the apartment directly across from his. It was _way_ too early to deal with this.

"Hey Naruto. Um, yeah, I do. Moved here shortly after I made chunin." Shikamaru drawled.

"Oh, well that's cool! At least I know one of my neighbors," Naruto spoke with a grin.

"Welcome to the building, I guess," Shikamaru spoke, his mind racing. He was too preoccupied with his other work, placing his Naruto mission on the back burner until he could deal with more pressing matters. Glancing at her, he was surprised to see her completely dressed and ready for fighting, "Do you always wake up this early or is today a special occasion?"

Naruto chuckled as she scratched the back of her head, "I have my first day of training today. What about you, you don't really seem like a morning person."

Shikamaru shrugged, "A carrier ninja interrupted my sleep by delivering a scroll. I thought I may as well go speak to the Hokage about it."

"This early in the morning?" Naruto questioned.

"Coming from the girl making her way to training at four in the morning," He quickly retorted.

"I'm supposed to meet my team at 5 am."

Shikamaru quirked a brow, "You do realize you still have another hour, right?"

"I know, I just didn't want to risk being late. Plus, it's not like I know my way around here yet."

"I guess that makes sense," Shikamaru mused. Perhaps he should make another step in advancing their relationship, "Have you had breakfast yet?"

Naruto blinked in confusion, "Um, no?"

The Nara smirked, "Well then, you can treat me to breakfast as payment for the drink I never received."

The Uzumaki rolled her eyes and crossed her arms, "You're still going on about that?"

"Yes, yes I am. Now come on, I can take you to wherever you're meeting your team later. That way, you get breakfast, _and_ you make it on time."

Naruto grinned, "You got yourself a deal!"

With that, the two shinobi began their descent down the staircase. "Can we get ramen?" Naruto suddenly asked.

Shikamaru chuckled lowly, "Sure, I know this great ramen stand. They tend to open up really early to accommodate shinobi."

"YES!" Naruto fist bumped into the air, her eyes twinkling. Wow, she really must love ramen, Shikamaru mused.

The Nara hummed as they walked towards Ichiraku, "Where are you meeting your team anyways?"

"Umm…Training Field 7."

"You're on Kakashi's team?" Shikamaru questioned in surprise. Wow, the Hokage was really pulling all the stops in making sure Naruto is trustworthy. Assigning her one of the most famous and loyal ninja's as her team leader was the perfect way to keep an eye on her.

"Yeah, that's his name! Sakura and some guy named Sai are on the team as well," Naruto stated.

Shikamaru nodded, "Yeah, I'm familiar with the team. They're a good team, if a bit odd."

"Odd?" Naruto questioned, tilting her head to the side, "How so?"

Shikamaru sighed, stuffing one hand in his pocket while his other hand plucked the cigarette from his lips, "Kakashi is famous across the nations. He's powerful, he's trustworthy… But he's always perpetually late and reads porn in public."

"Seriously?" Naruto scrunched up her nose.

Shikamaru nodded, "It can be quite the annoyance, especially on missions. Now Sai… he's a little hard to explain. He doesn't quite understand most social cues, and will most likely insult you straight to your face with an infuriating little smile. Try not to knock him out."

Naruto nodded slowly, digesting all of the information, "Got it."

"Now Sakura… For all intents and purposes, she's perhaps the most normal out of the group," Shikamaru spoke slowly.

"For all intents?" Naruto asked, catching on to his peculiar choice of wording.

"When Sakura first became a genin," Shikamaru began, "She was put into a team under Kakashi, with Sai and the rookie of the year, Sasuke Uchiha."

Naruto's eyes widened, "Uchiha?"

"You know him?"

Naruto nodded slightly, "I… once upon a time. We met a few years ago. He was hunting his brother. I was the last known person to have escaped an altercation with Itachi, so he found me. He wanted some answers."

Shikamaru withheld a groan. His target had a confirmed acquaintance with one of Konoha's missing-nins. This wasn't going to be good for her, "Listen, whatever you do, never mention this to anybody else, okay?"

He wasn't about to let someone else question his target. Naruto might get suspicious if people started poking around, no it was much safer for everyone involved if only Shikamaru knew of this. He would have to interrogate her more at a later time, any information on the whereabouts on a missing-nin is greatly needed. Quickly, he continued, "It's just that when Sasuke left, Sakura was heart broken. She loved him. Every time any one ever mentions him, she becomes a shell of her former self."

Naruto gave a determined smile, "Don't worry about me! I'll make sure nobody ever mentions that Teme's name in her presence!"

Shikamaru let out a small, genuine smile. She truly was an interesting person. He almost couldn't wait to dig up the rest of her secrets.

* * *

"This is, by far, the greatest ramen in the entire world!" Naruto cried, digging into her seventh bowl.

The shop owner chuckled kindly as he watched the small blond practically inhale her food. Shikamaru just watched with wide, unblinking eyes as Naruto ordered yet another bowl. _Where on Earth does she put all that food?_

Slurping the last bit of noodles, Naruto uncouthly wiped her mouth with the back of her hand as she grinned up at her companion, "Shikamaru, from the absolute bottom of my heart, _thank you_."

The Nara chuckled slightly, "I must be honest, I had no idea you'd react this much to some ramen, but regardless, I'm glad you're happy."

Naruto blushed slightly, avoiding direct eye contact with the attractive man, "It's just, I _really_ love ramen. I guess I'm just happy to eat my favorite food with a friend. I've never really had one… a friend, I mean."

Shikamaru smiled, "Well I'm glad to be that friend. Now that we're neighbors, we'll be seeing a lot of each other. I never want you to be shy about coming over or asking me for help, okay? I can only imagine how taxing it is to move to a completely new village." _Oh Kami,_ if only his fellow shinobi could hear him now, they would never _believe_ that Shikamaru Nara could be this gentlemanly and helpful.

"It's been a little hectic," Naruto responded candidly, "But I wouldn't trade it for anything in the world. I'm excited to start my life as a real shinobi."

Shikamaru chuckled as he rose from his seat, placing enough bills on the table to cover both of their meals, "Well, we are always in need of good shinobi."

"Wait, I thought I was supposed to treat _you_ to ramen," Naruto spoke.

Shikamaru smiled innocently at her, "Maybe next time."

Naruto narrowed her eyes in suspicion, "Are you only doing this so you have an excuse to drag me out another time?"

Shikamaru eyes widened in faux innocence, "I have _no_ idea what you're talking about."

"Mhmm," Naruto hummed, unconvinced, "Anyways, we should probably start making our way to the training field."

"Sure, it's this way," Shikamaru led, as they continued their conversation.

"Do you think we'll ever be on a mission together Shikamaru? It would be nice to have a friend around."

"I hope that someday I'll have the pleasure of being on a mission with you. Perhaps maybe when I revert back to being a regular jonin."

Naruto looked up at him in confusion, "What do you mean? I thought you were already a jonin?"

"I am," He responded, "But shortly after I made jonin last year, I was recruited by the ANBU." He lifted up his headband slightly to show her the tattoo etched into his shoulder.

"Woah, I mean I knew you were some God-slaying genius jonin, but I had no idea you were ANBU," Naruto said, her tone painted in amazement.

Shikamaru gave the girl a weary look, "How did you hear about that nickname?"

Naruto scratched the back of her head nervously, "Well, I've told you about Itachi Uchiha attacking me? I may have also ran into Hidan a few times as well. My sensei, after mentioning that I met you, told me that you were the one to finally kill the bastard."

Jiraiya of the sennin knew he was friends with his protégé. _He probably warned her to be weary of me. Damn it_. Although, he supposed it was only a matter of time. It was no secret, at least to him, that the Akatsuki were after jinchuriki, and with what he knew about Naruto, he knew they would all be after her.

Shikamaru shrugged nonchalantly, "I never understood that nickname. Hidan wasn't hard to kill, just as long as you understood his power and came up with counter measures. He was egotistical, and completely reckless. He thought he was immortal. He was wrong."

Naruto glared at the strategist, "Oh no, don't you dare try to act humble about this. Remember, I've fought the bastard myself, and almost died because of it. For you to not only analyze his techniques, but also develop a countermeasure against them, while actually _implementing_ it to perfection, is nothing short of genius! Of course you're deserving of that nickname!"

With a surprised smirk, he replied, "Many here wouldn't agree with you."

Naruto snorted, "Then those people are idiots. I mean think about it, you're intelligent, at least enough to apparently help the Hokage with paperwork. You made jonin at the age of 15, youngest of your generation. You were recruited into the ANBU, _and_ your practically famous for killing an S-rank missing-nin. How does anyone not see how powerful you are?!"

Shikamaru blinked in shock. This girl, only knowing him for a single day, had a better grasp over his true prowess than anyone else in Konoha. This… couldn't be a good thing.

"I assure you, you have a much higher opinion of me than is deserved," He spoke slowly.

Naruto shook her head, "I disagree."

Shikamaru looked at the girl oddly, "I'm a lazy jonin who's good for nothing besides paperwork."

Naruto rolled her eyes, "Oh come on Shika, you can't trick me with that. You may be _slightly_ lazy, but something tells me that you're not half as bad as you portray yourself to be."

Fuck. Fuck fuck fuck _fuck._ She had good intuition.

Shikamaru shrugged, placing his hands in his pockets, "Let's just agree to disagree."

Naruto grinned, "That means I'm right."

Shikamaru gave her a fake glare, "No, it doesn't. All it means is that we're here, and Sakura is giving me a weird look that I'd rather not interpret right now."

Naruto blinked and looked around, only to realize that they had in fact arrived at training field 7. Sakura was standing close by, leaning against a tree, and giving the pair an odd, confused look. Sitting beside her feet was an androgynous looking boy wearing a midriff, his eyes never straying from a scroll that lay beside him.

Shikamaru chuckled as he took in her confusion, "I'm guessing you never noticed that we arrived, huh?"

Naruto scratched the back of her head, "No not exactly."

Shikamaru smiled slightly, careful not to let the odd expression be seen by Sakura, "Don't worry, I can help you get here again tomorrow. Just be sure to actually pay attention next time."

The Uzumaki frowned playfully at his teasing, "Well next time, don't distract me!"

Shikamaru zipped his lips, "Don't worry, tomorrow I'll focus solely on helping you memorize the way."

Naruto grinned, "Thanks Shika!"

Shikamaru took out a cigarette and lit it with a snap of his fingers as he waved goodbye, "See you later, Naru."

"See ya!" Naruto waved at his disappearing silhouette. With a slight blush on her face, she turned to face her new teammates, who she was surprised to see staring at her with incredulous expressions.

"Were you just _flirting_ with Shikamaru Nara?!" Sakura screeched.

Naruto gulped. Oops.


End file.
